What good is having a true book that you don't read, understand or follow?

Most members don't know the scriptures at all. They follow what the church teaches and not what "the most true book" teaches. There are several contradictions between the teachings of the church today and the Book of Mormon including the doctrines of Christ. The Lord repeatedly says that the Book of Mormon contains "the true points of my doctrine, yea, and the only doctrine which is in me." (D&C 10:62). This is in 3 Nephi 11 where Jesus teaches all the principles and ordinances that he accepts as doctrine (5 principles and ordinances) and concludes by saying,

3 Nephi 11

39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.

40 And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.

So let’s test the modern church against the scriptures they claim are true.

The Book of Mormon was published in 1830. It contained at that time "the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ" and "the only doctrine that is in me". Yet it does not teach:

Word of Wisdom

Endowments

Sealings

Washing and anointing

Degrees of glory

Eternal marriage

Garments

Obedience to leaders

Temple recommend interviews

Tithing for temple access

Exaltation through temple ordinances

The modern priesthood hierarchy system

So, these and many other principles taught as the doctrines of Christ and part of his gospel are actually not his doctrines at all, or part of his gospel even if they may be true principles. Not all truths are part of his doctrine or gospel.

And what the scriptures DO teach are often directly contrary to modern LDS teachings.

For example:

The modern church teaches that remission of sins comes because of or after the priesthood-authorized baptism. That a person must be baptized by the correct priesthood authority to receive the remission of sins.

BUT

D&C 20:37 is a COMMANDMENT from the Lord to the church concerning the manner of baptism. The Lord says in this commandment that a person must FIRST receive the remission of sins and show it by their works BEFORE they are "received by baptism into his church."

That is not a small difference. That is a complete reversal of the order and contradiction of the mechanism by which the remission of sins is given/received. According to the Lord, the baptism is not required for the remission of sins, the remission of sins is required for the baptism.

And D&C 20:37 is not alone.

3 Nephi 7:25 says that they didn't baptize anyone until after they FIRST received a remission of their sins.

Helaman 5 goes further by showing exactly how this is done. It shows 300 people receiving the remission of their sins and the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost WITHOUT water baptism or laying on of hands.

Helaman 5 is backed up by Jesus in 3 Nephi 9:20 and Mormon in Ether 12:14 which both explain that the Lamanites in Hel. 5 were baptized with fire and the Holy Ghost. Since the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost means remission of sins and gift of the Holy Ghost, the Lamanites in Hel. 5 received the remission of sins without water baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost without the laying on of hands. This is shown again and again through the scriptures, like when Anna and Simeon were led by the spirit and met the young Jesus at the temple and prophecied regarding him. They lived in a church that was corrept and only had the Aaronic priesthood and weren't authorised to lay hands on for the Holy Ghost, (Melchizedek Priesthood).

In the Book of Mormon, no one had the Melchizedek priesthood and authority to lay on hands to give the Holy Ghost until 3 Nephi 18 when Jesus gives this power to his disciples. But then, in 3 Nephi 19, (the very next chapter), we see that they received the Holy Ghost without the laying on of hands even though they were authorized to do it by the laying on of hands.

There are countless examples of this in the scriptures. All of these examples tell us that God does not require men with priesthood to perform saving ordinances. He not only can do them Himself without the physical ordinance, but like in D&C 20:37, HE COMMANDS that the physical ordinance NOT be done until He has done the spiritual living ordinance. The scriptures tell us that the ordinances are the only way to MANIFEST (Make visible) the power of God to men in the flesh, (D&C 84:20-21), because you can't see someone receive the remission of sins, or receive the Holy Ghost. The spiritual cannot be seen by men in the flesh without the physical ordinances witnessing of them. But God can do His works without the physical ordinances. This is what the scriptures teach, show and command over and over again.

Additionally, in D&C 132:7-15 the Lord explains that the priesthood is not able to superceed God and do anything that He has not authorized. Which means that we can't bind God by priesthood ordinances to accept anything He didn't authorize.

D&C 132

8 Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.

9 Will I accept of an offering, saith the Lord, that is not made in my name?

10 Or will I receive at your hands that which I have not appointed?

This means that the priesthood is neither required nor does it have power to bind God to something He hasn't accepted. It litterally has no actual power except to MANIFEST the unseen spiritual to men in the flesh. It's like how the Law of Moses administered by the Aaronic priesthood and yet couldn't save anyone with its physical ordinances. Baptism was performed in the Law of Moses by the Aaronic priesthood and it couldn't save them, just as it can't save us today. It and all the priesthood ordinances are dead works. The true works are supposed to come before, not because of the ordinances. The ordiances are outward physical manifestations of the power of God, not the actual power of God.

These are only two of the many, many examples of the modern LDS Church contradicting the scriptures in their teachings and practices. And there are so many more scriptures that teach and demonstrate the above points that I could send you to demonstrate what I've provided in this post. But I doubt you and most members are humble enough to read and consider anything other than what is given to you by the church because members are more excited by the fact that they have a true book than by what that true book actually says and teaches.

So, again, I ask, What good is having a true book that you don't read, understand or follow?